Hello!

We are a brand-new small press located in Long Beach, California, and have just released our first title: Relax, It's Just God: How and Why to Talk to Your Kids About Religion When You're Not Religious. The book — written by award-winning journalist Wendy Thomas Russell — received a starred review in Library Journaland has been positively reviewed by Kirkus and The Humanist Magazine, among other outlets. The Kindle version is on sale for $2.99 through the end of the day (June 5). Please check it out and let us know what you think!

Link to Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GdhzCL
Link to Author: http://on.fb.me/1AFQ8AJ
Link to Our Press: http://bit.ly/1FCtpSk

Here's a blurb about the book:

A rapidly growing demographic cohort in America, non-religious parents are at the forefront of a major and unprecedented cultural shift. Unable to fall back on what they were taught as children, many of these parents are struggling -- or simply failing -- to address complicated religious questions and issues with their children in ways that promote curiosity, kindness, and independence. Author Wendy Thomas Russell sifts through hard data-including the results of her own survey of 1,000 nonreligious parents-and delivers gentle but straightforward advice to this often-overlooked segment of the American population. With a thoughtful voice infused with humor, Russell seamlessly merges scientific thought, scholarly research, and everyday experience with respect for a full range of ways to view the world. Relax, It's Just God goes beyond the numbers to give nonreligious parents a toolkit to assist with their unique and complex issues and to usher in a more compassionate generation. Relax, It's Just God aims to help nonreligious parents struggling to find the right time place, tone and language with which to talk about God. It encourages parents to promote religious curiosity, communication and diversity by lightening up and opening up about religion with their kids. By supporting kids as they explore religion on their own, we ensure that they make up their own minds about what to believe, or not believe -- and that they extend love and respect to those who may not agree with them.

"Written for secular parents from a nonreligious perspective, this guide explores methods of teaching youngsters about God, religion and spirituality... Chapters deal with a variety of topics such as reactions of grandparents and other relatives, mixed-faith marriages, kids being harassed at school and how to handle discussions of death. At the same time, her easy-to-read style is down-to-earth and conversational. Contains a wealth of information for secular or mixed-religion families preparing for the God talk with kids." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Relax, It's Just God is a thought-provoking entry in the expanding category of secular parenting advice." -- The Humanist Magazine


In this gem of a book, journalist Russell explores religion from a nonreligious perspective, helping parents guide their children in a healthy, exploration-oriented direction without guilt, dogma, or indifference.... This singular book with a clean style and respectful approach is recommended for all libraries. -- Library Journal (starred review)

"Wendy is a strong, funny, articulate new voice in secular parenting." -- Dale McGowan, author and editor, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion

This looks like a really good book. When a five year old tells her mother 'duh' for asking what God is up to now, since the five year old has been imbued with absolute steely certainty courtesy of an indogmafied friend, it illustrates that efforts to analyse the new taboos around religion are important and valuable. I have started reading this book and recommend it.

Agreed, this book looks great.

Other than religion having positive health and well being effects on children (there will always be the anecdotal tales you hear of adults turned die-heart atheists remembering their terror of fire and brimstone) i would say this book looks interesting.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_children

Thanks for sharing

Thank you, Robert, et al.! Very grateful for the positive feedback.

If only we all could have a mother with the approach to religious literacy described in Relax Its Just God. Wendy Thomas Russell conducted a fascinating survey of parents for this important book, and the results deserve wide discussion. The culture of secular rationality is evolving rapidly in the communication era, and sensible people do not accept beliefs that lack evidence and logic. But that makes it difficult for parents to work out how to explain faith matters to their children, especially living in a society where older traditions remain strong, and where saying the wrong thing can be risky. The values of tact, respect, enquiry, dialogue and reason go a long way to equipping children with the ability to maintain integrity and honesty. Teaching children about religion in a rational way is like playing a new game whose rules and objectives are not clear. Wendy Thomas Russell provides some immensely valuable resources for parents who are struggling with how to maintain a constructive focus in a context where the social politics of religion can be bewildering.

Learning about the rich diversity of human spirituality without becoming vulnerable to the social and psychological damage caused by accepting untrue claims is an important life skill. Teaching children about mythology is essential as a way to help them navigate the shoals of bigotry. The examples here of how to choose and share stories for children from a range of traditions provide a great service for parents wondering how to engage rather than avoid the big questions. We all encounter people who hold literal false beliefs, and who can be fervent, intolerant and exclusive. The dangers of isolation and indoctrination are real. Discussions with family and friends can blow both hot and cold, and the worst result is when relations are damaged as a result of emotional commitments to dogma as the criterion of belonging.

An adult will often not realise how much influence a small comment or a tone of voice will have when heard by the young who are highly impressionable, soaking up your words like a sponge. Using language that helps children to think critically for themselves, while respecting others, needs considerable care and planning. The opportunities for formation of solid modern values have to be taken quickly before others jump in with ideas that may be less helpful, something that starts to happen as soon as children talk to each other. Middle American small towns used to be places where Protestant Christianity was central and dominant, but the increased diversity and access brought by migration and media have broken down that imagined golden dream.

My own dog in this race is my belief that Christianity can evolve to become rational. There are many mysterious blockages in the way of that happening though, including mutual incomprehension between groups with conflicting views. Courtesy, dignity, patience and curiosity are further values which can promote useful dialogue and learning. Relax Its Just God is a friendly and wise and highly readable guide to teaching children about religion so they can respond with openness and intelligence.

ETA: I have put this on Amazon.

Thanks for the overview, Robert. I'd be up for discussing this book.

Robert, this is one of the best reviews I've ever seen of Relax, It's Just God. Thank you. Truly. Are you on Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook? Would love to connect with you further.

BrownPaperPress wrote:Robert, this is one of the best reviews I've ever seen of Relax, It's Just God. Thank you. Truly. Are you on Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook? Would love to connect with you further.

Thanks. Hi. Yes, I am technically on all these social media platforms, but not particularly au fait or impressed with them. These days I mainly discuss these type of topics touching on philosophy and literature and religion here at Booktalk.org. You can email me at robert at rtulip.net if you like.

Excellent, and great to know. We'll be sure to reach out to you here then, or via email, in the future. Thanks again.